2015-08-02T22:25:38ZArchitectural design and the Development of Place Attachment & Identityhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/5532
Architectural design and the Development of Place Attachment & Identity
2015
Fersterer, Christopher Karl
This research explores the relationship between domestic dwellings, nature and natural environments. I propose that, in order to develop environmental conservation values, individuals must feel some sense of connection to, or lack of separation from, the environment. The places where people reside is where they likely will have a stronger sense of connection and how they live will further mediate this connection. The research considers how vernacular building styles and construction practices influence engagement with the natural environment.
I begin by identifying design elements of huts and baches within natural environments. These structures are considered as a New Zealand vernacular, and their design language is thought to have potential applications that may provide value in contemporary urban architectural design. The study of predominantly small scaled and modest structures also provides a counterpoint to the large scale dwellings prevalent in many urban subdivisions, where relationships with natural systems often appear diminished. It is here where the issue can be seen as a wicked problem, where the wants and needs of the individual conflict with the preservation of environmental systems, as is evident with uncompromised domestic sprawl.
The most significant observations from this thesis are drawn from a series of case studies with participants who had demonstrated a strong sense of attachment to their homes and their natural settings, and who had been involved in the design and development of these homes.
I found that the case study participants had made specific connections to the natural settings where they had chosen to live and the design and/or construction of their homes had them respond to these settings. Memories and past experiences, which included references to huts and baches, but also to dining and socialising, informed many of their design decisions. The act of designing or conceptualising their homes encouraged them to respond to a range of issues determined by their sites and past experiences. The interview process encouraged them to express these issues and they were able to identify specific choices they had made with respect to a series of influences.
For these participants’ owner involvement in design or development of their home and land helped to reinforce meaningful attachments to the environment, and that this, for some, was a reflection of concern for wider environmental issues. Consequently, the development of tools or practices that encourage deeper participation by owners in the design of their homes may prove effective in shifting views to accommodate new values of environment preservation.
2015-03-13T04:02:28ZThe Eden Hore Collection: Exploring scenarios for re-displayhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/4931
The Eden Hore Collection: Exploring scenarios for re-display
2014
Metzger, Jamie Averill
The Eden Hore Museum of Fashion contains dress and other artefacts, collected by James Eden Hore in the 1970s, and is housed in a private museum on Glenshee Farm (Naseby, New Zealand). Eden Hore bequeathed his collection to his nephew and wife, John and Margaret Steele, on his death in 1997. The aim of this research was to develop exhibition scenarios for the re-display of the Eden Hore Collection in another location.
The New Museology advocates for museums to engage in consultation during the development stages of an exhibition, to benefit both the institution and the public. Participatory Design is a method used by designers to engage end-users in the design process to create solutions which respond directly to their needs. Three key stakeholder groups were identified, and consisted of the current collection owners, a group of experts on the study and display of New Zealand dress, and a group of past and prospective visitors to the Eden Hore Collection. Participatory Design methods, such as interviews and a workshop, enabled exhibition scenario development to be undertaken according to the inclusive principles of the New Museology.
Consultation with the current owners indicated that the future location of the Eden Hore Collection was uncertain. Stakeholders identified positive and negative aspects of the current display of the collection. Issues of interpretation, curatorial selection, and alternative display methods were identified. In order to address these issues, alongside the critical uncertainty of the final location of the collection, an exhibition scenario planning toolkit for the Eden Hore Collection was developed. The toolkit takes the form of two decks of cards which enables users to develop exhibition scenarios by determining interpretive themes, collection items which relate to these themes, and consider different display methods.
2014-07-28T21:44:00ZInvestigating reuse opportunities of consumer dairy product packaging; a design directed, user-centred investigation.http://hdl.handle.net/10523/4523
Investigating reuse opportunities of consumer dairy product packaging; a design directed, user-centred investigation.
2013
Jeffery, Joshua Lee
This dissertation examines forms of dairy product packaging that is to be found in most households. This packaging is intended for consumer use and is typically used once. Such packaging is implicitly designed to serve this single use and then to either be consigned to landfill, or recycled. Despite this, as studies in this dissertation note, such packaging is often diverted to a multitude of other uses in the household such as; storing frozen food, lunch boxes, raise seedlings, collect compost, craft activities, holding various things around the garage and the like.
In this dissertation, a range of definitions related to sustainability are examined, as well as relevant approaches to its measurement and application. From this, a ‘Human Centred’ design stage utilises a combination of individual observation, education, comparison, and interview studies, adapted from IDEO (2003). Specifically, this includes; ‘Supermarket Pilot Study’ that assessed current packaging types, uses, form, function, aesthetics, and materials; ‘Fonterra Consumer Brands’ that assisted in refining scope and identifying associated brands and related products; ‘User Observations’ that helped understand consumption, storage, and end-life packaging behaviours; ‘User Interviews’ that identify perspectives, behaviours, needs, wants, and preferences; ‘Party Plan for Polymer Based Packaging Solutions’ to understand an existing range of popular products and the experience they provide; and a ‘Competitive Product Survey’ to identify and compare solutions currently available in the market.
Following a review of the key insights identified from these studies, a ‘Systems Architecture’ was articulated that set the brief for the subsequent development of alternative packaging concepts and elements that could be incorporated into Fonterra’s Tip Top 2 litre and Fresh ‘n’ Fruity 1 litre product ranges.
This product design phase focused on developing innovative lid attachments that enabled the packaging to have multiple reuses in the domestic kitchen for storing wet and dry, and fresh and frozen foods.
A study of potential seals tested a range of existing storage solutions against an evaluation criteria that was based on key values important to users. Two seals from the six developed warranted further exploration with a flat inner surface found to be the preferred location for a silicon-based wiper styled seal.
A subsequent design stage developed the following six concepts that utilised this seal; Band Adaptor, Flexible Pull Tab, Flex Band, Vacuum Seal, Folding Band, and Squeeze Band. Each concept was evaluated, and following this, a seventh then eighth concept – the Corner Tab and Flex Corner – was produced. The innovative undercut feature discovered during this process identified a means to secure and seal a lid attachment in a single movement.
The completion of this Industrial Design stage of research led to eight other supporting features also being developed. These ‘pick ‘n’ mix’ concepts explored a suite of possibilities for the identification and removal of branding, efficient use of space and extended functionality.
The ‘Human Centred’ approach adapted in this research was found to support the potential for Design to directly act as a method of research enquiry. A key conclusion was the identification of three of Rittel and Webber’s (1973) ten dimensions of Wicked Problems theory that have significant influence on Industrial Design processes.
2013-12-10T02:50:05ZDesign for Sustainability: Addressing Food Waste Behaviourhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/4115
Design for Sustainability: Addressing Food Waste Behaviour
2013
Niimi, Machiko
This research explores current approaches and frameworks to enable design to contribute to sustainable behaviour. In particular, this research closely examined Shove’s Comfort, Cleanliness and Convenience (3Cs) for its applicability in the design process, with a view to generating design interventions. In mid- to high-income countries, consumer behaviour is recognised as the major issue contributing to food waste. Sustainability approaches were applied to the context of food waste, in order to see how they could inform designing for this problem.
First, a pilot observation was carried out to investigate whether Shove’s 3Cs approach could be applied to the food waste context. The results of the pilot observation suggested that the 3Cs could be a useful tool for uncovering everyday norms and habits governing food waste. A major observation was then carried out at a farmers’ market, using human centred design methods. The analysis of the observations led to frame a design brief: To improve the food waste stream at the farmers’ market through design interventions relating to take-away coffee practices. The design ideation and refinement process resulted in three design concepts, which sought to enable more sustainable behaviour by; a) removing barriers to sustainable behaviour with the 3Cs; b) emotionally durable re-use cups; and c) supporting the demand for the 3Cs.
The evaluation of the design process identified that the 3Cs, used in conjunction with a social practice approach, revealed rich nuances in everyday practices with respect to food waste. These approaches were, therefore, found to be complementary to human centred design processes in framing the design problem and to forming the design brief. They were also found to be particularly useful in making sense of wicked problems. However, they were limited in their application during the design ideation phase, which reinforced the importance of conventional design ideation tools, such as sketching and prototyping. This thesis concludes that Shove’s 3Cs and social practice approach are useful tools when framing design problems. In addition, this research reinforced the importance of utilising various strategies, as required, when designing for sustainable behaviour. Further research in effective application of the sustainability approaches with reference to how they inform the design process would enrich the research in the area of design for sustainable behaviour.
2013-07-07T20:44:09ZAddressing the different information needs of diverse visitors to Arthur’s Pass National Parkhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/2548
Addressing the different information needs of diverse visitors to Arthur’s Pass National Park
2012
Vieira Avendaño, Carla Catherine
The New Zealand landmass encompasses a vast diversity of wilderness areas, including fourteen national parks and other conservation lands. These natural environments attract a large number of domestic and international visitors, who consult a many different sources of on-line and printed information before and during their visit. However, these resources are usually designed to suit a generic visitor, and take no account of the different needs and expectation of diverse individuals. In this thesis, I investigate the use of information resources by different users groups as categorized by the Wilderness Perception Scaling (WPS) method. I begin with a review of relevant studies and statistics relating to domestic and international visitors’ experiences of the New Zealand wilderness. I then report on the results of my direct observations of visitors to three destinations, and I discuss the findings that I gathered from surveys that I conducted in two of these locations. This work includes pilot studies of two sites — the Catlins Conservation Park and the Orokonui Ecosanctuary — and a more detailed study of Arthur’s Pass National Park. Following a discussion of my observations and findings, I argue for a redesign of the Department of Conservation (DOC) Website, and I present sketch ideas for a new site that is informed by mobile media interface designs. This work hints at future possibilities for smartphone applications. I conclude that current technologies allow us to address the needs and expectations of different visitors to wilderness areas. Furthermore, I argue that mobile media can enable individuals to create and share, as well as download and use, information resources that address their various and different requirements. I conclude that, if we want younger people to engage with wilderness environments, we should be using the technologies that they are using.
2012-11-05T01:47:26ZDesigning A National Park Experience: Expanding the experiential scope of wayfinding as a means of creating richer interactions between people and the Public Conservation Lands of New Zealand.http://hdl.handle.net/10523/2541
Designing A National Park Experience: Expanding the experiential scope of wayfinding as a means of creating richer interactions between people and the Public Conservation Lands of New Zealand.
2012
Miller, Katherine Anne
There is considerable opportunity to build participation in the Public Conservation Lands through the development of enticing and imaginative experiences. An in-depth observational scoping study of Arthur’s Pass National Park observed wayfinding as a core opportunity for development. As a result this research looks to adapt basic wayfinding into more experientially rich solutions.
Two experience-orientated models are employed to assist the development process. Models developed by Nathan Shedroff - an experience design professional (2009) - and Tim Ingold - an anthropologist concerned with people and landscape (2000). These were applied to aid the development of diverse narratives of walking. As prompted through four wayfinding solutions: ‘Choreographed by Nature Wayfinding’ which prioritises kinaesthetic narrative, ‘Scavenger Hunt Wayfinding’ which utilises game-based involvement methodology, ‘Statistic-based Wayfinding’ which has a strong informational core, and ‘Storytelling Wayfinding’ which enlists an unfolding story as a means to assist wayfinding.
The application of these two different frameworks has elicited the following outcomes; Shedroff’s framework has increased the experiential depth of these wayfinding solutions, while Ingold’s framework has enabled the enlisting of landscape as a core-contributing component in wayfinding. This multidisciplinary approach has increased the scope of imaginative possibilities for wayfinding and shifted the focus from a mechanics of wayfinding artefacts towards the potential spread of experiences wayfinding might generate. The advantage of this approach for New Zealand’s Public Conservation Lands is it enables a prioritisation and sympathetic consideration towards the implementation of human intervention in a predominately non-human space.
2012-11-02T00:58:57ZStraining History Ernest Hayes: Pioneer Industrial Designerhttp://hdl.handle.net/10523/2481
Straining History Ernest Hayes: Pioneer Industrial Designer
2012
O'Brien, Gavin
This thesis began with an enquiry into the origins of a ubiquitous artefact of everyday life in rural New Zealand; the Hayes permanent wire strainer.
Researching this artefact quickly revealed that the origins of the Hayes permanent wire strainer were vastly at odds with popular belief; a belief that somehow enshrined the strainer as symbolic of a particular quality, or qualities, that are commonly regarded as defining characteristics of what it means to be a New Zealander, namely those of pragmatism and adaptability.
The discovery that Hayes did not invent the Hayes permanent wire strainer, led to further research into the notion of design as an evolutionary process, and this in turn, led to an even more more compelling question about the nature of Hayes‘ work.
As with all research led enquiry, this thesis provides more questions than answers but central to the thesis is the proposition that Ernest Hayes was a pioneer of New Zealand industrial design.
I hope that the subject matter may prove a useful prompt for other scholars of design history to take up the task of broadening the scope of this discipline to include content from other previously excluded domains such as agricultural tools and equipment.
2012-10-09T00:22:52ZFuturing Craft: New Zealand Studio Furniture 1979-2008http://hdl.handle.net/10523/2421
Futuring Craft: New Zealand Studio Furniture 1979-2008
2012
Wood, D
This thesis investigates the practice and culture of studio furniture in New Zealand and its national craft context, in light of prevailing economic, educational, social and cultural parameters. The author uses an autoethnographical approach to the research, functioning as a subjective and reflective studio furniture practitioner, to establish fruitful ongoing relationships with the New Zealand furniture community and six leading makers. This aligns with Tim Ingold’s argument regarding the inextricability of the maker, the making process and what is made. At the core of the thesis are six case studies whose interviews and visual documentation attest to the diversity of practitioners and strength of the community in New Zealand.
The thesis begins by establishing the theoretical lens through which the research on studio furniture was viewed: holism, the reflective practitioner, narrative, autoethnography, design anthropology, and the ethics of care. This is followed by three chapters dedicated to craft and furniture in New Zealand. In 1965, a handful of largely amateur makers joined the World Crafts Council. Chapter 2 documents this pivotal event and subsequent progress toward inauguration of the Crafts Council of New Zealand (CCNZ). The history of the CCNZ from 1977 to 1992—its key players, and major issues including advocacy, education, standards, and professionalism—provides the context in which crafted furniture became visible and matured. Chapter 3 begins with a definition of studio furniture, followed by documentation of the practice’s collectivity, exhibitions, educational opportunities, resources, and international connections. Then, moving from the macro to the micro, Chapter 4 comprises in-depth case studies of five men and one woman whose contributions established and advanced the studio furniture community.
This thesis supports Tony Fry’s arguments for craft as care and designer/makers as critical implements in the sustainment of planet Earth. As a consequence, the document concludes in Chapter 5 with three proposals for the futuring of studio furniture and craft in New Zealand: craft’s advocacy at the international level, national education, and rescripting of furniture and craft.
2012-08-07T01:22:21Z